Tom Boonen retires Belgian National champion jersey. Too ripped.

After his dramatic crash in the final sprint for stage one honors in the Tour of California, Tom Boonen made a decision to retire his jersey. Not because he didn’t like the style or the colors or the team logos but because he’d ripped it to shreds.

Let’s never forget how tough the men in lycra are. The next morning a Quick Step support man was showing off the lacerated jersey. I asked him if Boonen was okay. “Oh he’s fine. He’s back at the office,” he said. With a brand new, never-been-shredded jersey.